


Off the Field

by A Crimson Phoenix (cw151)



Series: The Winters Universe [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Babyfic, Clintasha - Freeform, F/M, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-29
Updated: 2014-09-29
Packaged: 2018-02-19 06:59:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2379134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cw151/pseuds/A%20Crimson%20Phoenix





	Off the Field

Something was off. Natasha knew it.

She let out a long and slow breath and checked her phone once again. Clint should have been back three hours ago. He hadn’t checked in with her, and she couldn’t reach Coulson either.

She pushed herself off the couch and began to slowly walk up and down their living room. Her belly was slowly growing, and she could already feel it constricting her movements, especially when she was exercising. She tried not to think about how much bigger her belly would still become. The forced reduction of her exercise regimen was already driving her crazy. She didn’t even want to know how the last weeks of her pregnancy would feel.

 

Natasha sat back down on the sofa and picked up the book she’d been reading earlier. Her mind continued to wander, however, and she ended up re-reading the same paragraph three times. Just when she threw the book back on to the table with a frustrated sigh, she could hear their apartment door opening, followed by the telltale sounds of Clint coming home. Natasha quickly got up and headed out onto the hallway.

 

“Hey,” she greeted Clint, stopping short in the hallway. Clint was wearing a Stark issue sweat suit, his uniform and weapons in a bag on the floor.

Clint shot her a weak smile. “Hey,” he replied tiredly.

Natasha walked up to him and kissed him square on the mouth.

“I was beginning to get worried. Is everything ok?” she said, running one hand through his hair.

“Yes, and no. Let me grab something to drink first. You want something, too?”

Natasha shook her head and followed Clint to the kitchen. As soon as Clint had taken one step she noticed that he was limping.

 

 

In the kitchen, Clint grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before carefully lowering himself on to one of the bar stools at the counter. Natasha slipped on to the stool next to him and laced her fingers through his.

“Mission was ok, we got what we went in for,” Clint began. “Everything went well until the last half hour. Some of their goonies were trying to get us. We held up well and everyone got out, but I got hit pretty bad a few times. Knee ligaments are torn and I pulled a muscle in my back.”

Natasha ran her free hand across his back.

“What’d the doctors say?” she asked.

Clint swallowed.

“I’ll be ok. But I’m off the field for four months. Guess that makes two of us now.” He shot her one of his signature lopsided grins.

Natasha sent him a compassionate look.

“There’s more, though.” Clint continued. “Coulson’s made me an offer.”

Natasha raised an eyebrow. “Consisting of what?” she asked.

Clint didn’t look at her.

“He wants me to be Special Director of Operations.”

 

Natasha was dumb-struck. She hadn’t expected this at all.

“That’s… wow… that’s big,” she said, trying to keep her voice neutral. “And unexpected.”

Clint nodded.

“What did you say?” Natasha asked.

“I told him I’d think about it,” Clint replied, still avoiding her gaze.

“Okay, and what’s your initial reaction?” Natasha prodded, eyes narrowing.

Clint sighed.

“I don’t know.” He paused. “I – I think it’d be really interesting. I could actually make decisions and determine how things are run instead of just complaining about them.” He let out a compressed laugh before turning serious and finally looking at Natasha.

“But I also don’t want to be off the field completely. And I most definitely don’t want to leave you alone out there,” he said, fixing her with his gaze.

Natasha took a sip from his water bottle as she was processing what he just said. Clint squeezed her hand still wrapped in his.

 

“I really don’t know what to do. I’m also thinking – this could be a great opportunity, because I don’t know how much longer I’ll be out in the field in the first place. I’m getting old, and I know it. If I take this position now, I’ll at least have something by the time I have to retire from the field completely. Otherwise, I may be forced to go to some boring desk job when I’m at that point. And I would definitely not be able to live with that.” Clint continued and set his jaw. “What do you think?” 

Natasha swallowed lightly.

“I don’t know either,” she admitted. “But I’d back up your decision, no matter what it is. I don’t want any other partner, but it’d also be foolish to think that we can go on missions the way we do forever. I’ve done plenty of solo missions before and I’ll continue to do them. I’d just miss knowing that you have my back when I’m out there on a team mission,” she said.   
“I’d still have your back. Only from Ops and not from the next rafter,” Clint said while nudging her lightly.

Natasha smiled shortly before turning serious.

 

“What about the Avengers, though?” she asked, a crease forming on her forehead.

“I’d have to talk to Coulson about that. I’d still have to be able to go on missions with them,” Clint stated flatly. Natasha just nodded and let out a slow breath.

Clint tilted his head as he met her eyes again.

“Lots of decisions, huh?” he said. Natasha just stared at him with an inscrutable look in her eyes.

“Yeah.”


End file.
